COMMUNITY leaders say progress is being made to address anti-social behaviour in a Cheshire village but they are worried about policing levels.

Malpas parish councillor Cllr Nancy White is keeping fellow members updated about ongoing attempts to counter the behaviour of a minority of young people in the community.

She has previously reported a youngster playing chicken across the road in Springfield, a lady having mud thrown on her car windscreen, a youth going around hitting stones with a hockey stick which went 'everywhere' and an elderly lady who felt threatened by groups of youngsters hanging around her home.

She said: 'There is quite a lot of movement going on involving, not only the police, but the housing officer who came round two nights last week patrolling. They are aware of what's going on and where it's going on.'

Parish and city councillor Keith Ebben said: 'We are concerned about policing levels. There is an area committee and the issue is blowing up about rural policing levels not increasing and we are concerned about that. I hope the area committee will start applying pressure to help address this problem.'

Cllr Colin Richards said there were 12 police officers for the rural area instead of the 17 that should be in position. The councillor added that the Well Avenue street sign had been vandalised with the 'W' removed so that it now read 'ell Avenue'.

Cllr Eric Beak gave an anecdote which showed the positive and negative side of the issue.

'It's not all bad,' he said. 'There are a number of organisations working on this. I spoke to representatives of the housing trust who were up on the recreation ground in a four-wheel drive vehicle. Malpas is getting a lot of support from different agencies including the county council's youth service. Two members have been coming down on Monday evenings for six weeks or so talking to youngsters wherever they have found them.

'I joined them the week before and as a result of talking to several of them, they repaired the fence around the children's play area. They did it with very good grace and quite a high degree of skill.'

'If we can harness young people's enthusiasm then there are benefits to be had for the whole village. The thing I found to be disheartening was the youngsters finished at 9pm on the Friday and the next morning about four of the palings had been kicked out. They were not the solid ones these youngsters had put in but others yet to be reinforced. It is disheartening because they had made a good job of it.'

It is hoped the Malpas Young Persons' Centre, due to open later this summer, will help address young people's needs and go towards undermining unacceptable behaviour.